Someone To Talk To
by cinnimonforever4
Summary: Calleigh is having a hard time dealing with her drunk father and just needs to talk to someone. This is my first story so please R&R! E/C
1. Present

This time he knew something was up. One minute she was chatting happily away, the next hanging up her phone with a solemn look. She dashed away with the lame excuse of "I've got some errands to run." _What could possibly be so important to leave in the middle of a triple homicide investigation? _He was instantly worried.

Calleigh sighed as she climbed into her county-issued Hummer. She could not even count the number of times she had left a crime scene or the lab to pick up her drunken father. _He promised to stop. I should have known better than to expect him to keep his word! _She silently reprimanded herself as she drove to pick him up. _If I had a penny for every time he has promised me, I would be very rich indeed! _She sighed as she drew closer to her destination, knowing that every time she did this, she bottled up more and more emotion. Eventually she would have to let it out. What she needed was someone to listen when she finally did burst. She stepped out of the car and headed into the bar.

"Horatio?"

"Come in Eric." Eric shuffled into the office, not knowing what to say. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

"H, I'm worried about Cal. This is the third time this week she has received a phone call and left work!"

Horatio sighed. He knew this time would come but still hadn't the slightest inkling of how to handle it. He thought for a moment and then decided for a safe route. "And just why does that worry you? I'm sure you have left work for some emergency or another?"

Eric was taken aback. "But never this often, H! Today, she looked totally dejected! There is something you're not telling me." He glared at his boss, anger building. _Why is he keeping this a secret? I'm her friend for goodness sake!_

Horatio sighed again. "Eric…" he warned. But he just kept on talking.

"If something is wrong, I want to know about it. I want to help!"

"Listen. Eric, I mean it! Calleigh is having non-work related problems. If she has not told you yet, I think it is wise to not say anything." When Eric seemed to grow angrier, he added "She will come around when the time arises. Until then, let it be."

Eric gave Horatio one last glare and said over his shoulder as he walked out, "Fine. I have tests to run." He walked around the corner and headed to Trace, resolving to talk to Calleigh later on.

"Thank you again, Emma. I don't know what I would do without you!" Calleigh said to the young bartender. "Don't take it personally, but I really hope this is the last I've seen of this bar. Well, at least under these circumstances." She gently grasped her fathers arm and helped him to his feet. "Come on Dad, let's get you home!"

"See you around Cal!" Emma called at the retreating daughter and father. Her response was a wave over Calleigh's shoulder. Emma chuckled to herself, "That man!"

Once safely in her car, Calleigh turned to her father. "What have I told you Dad? They'll never let you back into court with a hangover! You are risking your client's case!" All her dad did was mumble something unintelligently and close his eyes. Calleigh sighed. "Alright. I'll let you off with a warning again. Now let's get you home."

An hour later found Calleigh scrambling to catch up on her work. She was growing frustrated and was ready to go home. She jumped as a voice called her name. "Calleigh? Are you okay?" She spun around about to yell at whoever it was for interrupting her, but stopped when she saw him. He had a truly worried look in his eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." She said softly. "But Eric, What's wrong with you?" She watched as he realized what face he was making and quickly wiped it away.

"Yes Cal. I was just worried about you." He confessed. "I mean, you ran out of here pretty fast. I wouldn't be a worried if you didn't do this as often as you do!" He looked down at his feet, anxiously waiting her reply. When none came, he looked up and was shocked. In the couple of years he had worked with her, Eric had never seen Calleigh show any weakness, and that, along with other elements, had given him great respect for her. She never cried; she was strong. Yet, as he watched, Calleigh sat down and put her head in her hands. He saw her take a trembling gasp before she looked up, eyes on the verge of leaking. "Oh Cal!"

"It's not as bad as it looks. It's my dad. He…he was drunk again." Eric just looked at her. "Eric. He was drunk! Again! He promised me! It's just like… just like…"

"Just like what Cal?" Eric prompted gently.

"Just like when I was a kid." She whispered. Then she did something that startled even her; she pulled Eric closer and hugged him, sobbing into his shoulder.

"It's alright Calleigh, its okay." He said holding her, comforting her. He knew she must be in bad shape to let her guard down this much. "How about we go for coffee after shift and talk?" Calleigh looked up and nodded. She pulled away, wiping away tears furiously.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me! I just…" She started.

Eric cut her off. "Don't be Cal. We're friends; that's why I'm here." He reached down and helped her pack away the case files spread over her desk. When they finished, they clocked out and headed out. Calleigh finally had someone to talk to.


	2. Past

_**Thank you for the reviews and adding me to author alert! I wasn't planning on writing more to this, but I don't want to disappoint! **__****__** So here is my try at continuing! R&R please!**_

"Now, we have our coffee and your eyes are dry. Just take your time and stop if you start getting to upset, okay?" Eric spoke quietly, knowing how Calleigh would react if the whole shop heard her being comforted. He knew how embarrassed if anyone, even strangers, thought of her as weak or saw her crying. He also knew that if that did happen, he might end up in the back of an ambulance with a bullet in his foot.

Calleigh took a deep breathe and began in an equally soft voice. "When I was little, my parents were fine. They loved each other and cared for each other. We were so… happy." She sighed. "But then my dad started drinking. My mom withdrew into seclusion and succumbed to depression. Most nights were spent huddling in my room, hiding from my dad's fury. When he was drunk, he became a different person. He was violent and yelled bloody murder. He went on rampages and…" (Here she gulped) "And he beat us up. My brothers and I, I mean." She took a sip of coffee. "When he wasn't drunk, he was the kind, loving father that I had grown up knowing. That was why I never reported him. He spoiled me. He let me play with the boys and work with guns. I loved him and didn't want to see him hurt." She paused, looking at Eric with her beautiful green eyes swimming with emotion.

Eric listened patiently as Calleigh described a childhood so unlike his own. As she confided in him, all his questions on how she had become so strong were answered. She had been toughened by the memories of her abused past. "Go on. I understand." Eric prompted. He was astounded by how much Calleigh was confiding in him and he didn't want her to stop. He could see that she had been holding her emotions in for quite some time and that confiding in him was doing her a world of good. "Go on Cal, I'm listening."

Calleigh nodded and continued, "One morning, I was sitting on the sofa, looking at all the smashed glass bottles lining the room. Dad had gotten drunk and had taken to throwing his empty bottles at the walls. It was a horrible mess. I walked into the garage and noticed the gun safe; it was wide open. I panicked and ran around to the backyard. I saw my father hunched over a barrel. It looked like he had been digging around, trying to recover bullets. When I approached him, he stirred and called me closer. He whispered to me how sorry he was for his behavior and pleaded for my help in cleaning it all up." She sniffed and wiped her eyes on her napkin. "His voice was so… I don't even know! I guess it was gentle but also in a lot of pain. That's when I realized how truly he had meant his apology. I spent the entire morning caring for him. I cleaned the livingroom and gave him aspirin. I even searched all over the yard for his gun. I found it halfway up our ancient maple tree in the backyard." She gave a dry laugh as she continued. "I had to throw rocks at it to make it fall, he had gotten it up so high up! God only knows how he had managed that!"

At hearing her voice lighten up, Eric allowed himself a small chuckle. _I simply cannot picture Mr. Duquesne climbing up a tree! But, who knows? When you're drunk, almost anything is possible… _He nodded for Calleigh to continue.

"Ever since then, I have been caring for him. I knew mama wouldn't do it; she had her own problems. It was solely up to me. I convinced him to sign up for an Alcoholics Anonymous Support Group and I stayed up with him, encouraging him when the call of the alcohol became too strong for him to resist by himself. Over time, he improved greatly. I came home to find him drunk less and less until he finally announced himself cured of his addiction. By that time, I was a senior in high school. I worried about leaving him alone the next year, but he promised to be good." Eric smiled at the thought of a younger Calleigh instructing her father to 'be good'. "We kept in touch and all seemed fine. He was always sober when I came home for holidays and that made me extremely confident that he was finally over his drinking. I graduated and he got drunk. I mean, he was celebrating and got carried away… a one time thing, right? Well that's what he told me and I believed him. He had kept his promise for so long that I really did believe him! Two years after I was hired in ballistics at the New Orleans Crime Lab, Horatio appeared, offering me a job here in Miami. I jumped at the offer and moved down here and my dad followed. But the work here was more time consuming and I found myself with less and less time to spend with him. I think that's what caused him to go back to his old pastime. One day, I'm at a crime scene and my cell rings. I pick it up and find out that… that he had failed me. I could hear him singing in the background, singing in that drunken way of his." She seemed to be temporarily absorbed in memories. "I can hear the call still. It's like it is ringing in my ears; _'I'm sorry, but we have a gentleman here in need of a way home? He claims you are his daughter? One… Calleigh Duquesne?' 'Yes, yes that would be me. I'll be right over.' _I've been called to the bar about once a week since then but recently he has been more frequent. I'm getting seriously worried he might do something to get himself hurt next time." She sighed and finished off her coffee. Eric took that as a sign that she was finished with her story.

He reached across the table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I know it must be hard, Cal, but at least he improved in the past. Maybe he can improve again? Don't give up hope, it's just so unlike you. I know that he loves you and never meant to hurt you. He sounds like he would give another AA group a try if you asked…"

Calleigh sighed. "I guess. Thank you for listening Eric. You don't know how much it helped."

"It was no trouble at all! I am just relieved that you don't have to carry all that weight by yourself anymore." She gave him a look. "I mean it, Cal. Anytime you need help, I'm there. Just give me a call, alright?" She nodded and stood to leave. They paid their bill and walked out of the coffee shop. Before they left for their Hummers, Eric caught her hand. She shot him another look which he ignored. "Cal, I was serious. I'm here whenever you need someone to talk to."

"I know Eric. Night." As she walked away, his words replayed in her head; _someone to talk to._ It was as if he had read her mind. She smiled as she drove away.

_**Please let me know what you think of my first ever Fan Fic! **__****__** And thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Please Review!**_


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